News

Warning for Radcliffe

DAVID BEDFORD will meet officials of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) this week to explain why they should not discard a world record if one is set in the women’s race in the Flora London Marathon, writes Richard Lewis.

Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, the defending champion who set the world record in Chicago in October, is planning an attempt to improve her time of 2hr 17min 18sec on April 13.

But the decision by London to bring a group of male pacemakers into the race to help the elite women has not been well received by the IAAF. It is not happy that men are being used in what London are promoting as a women-only race.

Istvan Gyulai, secretary of the IAAF, said: “I have doubts that any record set under these circumstances would be allowed. It is also unlikely the IAAF council would accept such a record. If